{"id":1206,"date":"2010-08-02T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-08-02T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2014-07-17T13:25:54","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T13:25:54","slug":"reading-%c2%ab%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%80-%d0%b8-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%80%d0%b3%d0%b0%d1%80%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%c2%bb-chapter-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/reading-%c2%ab%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%80-%d0%b8-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%80%d0%b3%d0%b0%d1%80%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%c2%bb-chapter-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading \u00ab\u041c\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440 \u0438 \u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0430\u00bb: Chapter 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

What is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb?<\/strong> Ah, the wonderful or rather wonder-inspiring language of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043e\u0432\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043f\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [Sovietdom]! \u00ab<\/strong>\u0416\u0438\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> is short for \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u044f <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb,<\/strong> meaning \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0435\u043c\u0430\u044f, <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0430\u0437\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0434\u043b\u044f <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u044c\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0430, <\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [floor space of a living areas of an apartment or a house]. So why not say \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [apartment] or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [room] when referring to one\u2019s living quarters?<\/p>\n

Back in the days, including when \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [story of Master and Margarita] took place, few individuals or even families could boast living in separate apartments. Instead, a certain number of square meters of living space was allocated to each and every city dweller.<\/p>\n

Do you know the old Communist principle \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0443 – <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044f\u043c, <\/strong>\u043e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u043e\u0433\u043e – <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u043e\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044f\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [to each – according to his needs; from each – according to his abilities]? Except when it came to \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [obtaining living space] it was exactly the opposite and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0443 – <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u043e\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044f\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [to each – according to his abilities], specifically – abilities to make all the right moves and pull all the right strings.<\/p>\n

One couldn’t buy \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [living space]. Instead, they could \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to obtain], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0431\u0438\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to wheedle out], or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to receive] the coveted square meters from \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [office responsible for keeping track of and allocating housing]. In order to do this, one had to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to queue], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u044f\u0432\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [to submit application] or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u044a\u044f\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0437\u0438\u044e\u00bb<\/strong> [to file a claim], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [to collect supporting documents], and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to wait]. Thanks to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [never-ending construction projects], insufficient resources directed to the public housing and all-pervasive \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [red tape] such \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0436\u0438\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [wait] could last \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [\u2018til the Second Coming].<\/p>\n

The problem of insufficient housing existed long after hapless \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0441\u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0449\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0430 \u2116302-<\/strong>\u0431\u0438\u0441 <\/strong>\u041d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0440 <\/strong>\u0418\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447 <\/strong>\u0411\u043e\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [chairman of the housing committee of #302-B Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoi] fell victim to \u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u0435\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0448\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Koroviev\u2019s tricks].<\/p>\n

You\u2019d think that now that Russia embraced capitalism, the housing difficulties \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u043b\u043e\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [are left in the past]. No such thing! In fact, catchy late-Soviet \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u043c\u044c\u0435<\/span> – <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0443\u044e <\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0443 <\/strong>\u043a 2000 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [a separate apartment for each family by the year 2000] slogan notwithstanding, the issue has never been resolved.<\/p>\n

No one knows how many Russians still live in \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [communal apartments], but by some estimates<\/a> it\u2019s 1 out of 10 Russian citizens. In case you don\u2019t know, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> is a large apartment shared by several individuals and\/or families. Each family has its own room and all share common areas – bathroom, kitchen and hallway. If you\u2019d like, you can have a virtual tour of a typical \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0430\u043b\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong><\/a> from the comfort of your home.<\/p>\n

No wonder that Russian language has quite a few words that deal with \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u044c\u0451\u00bb<\/strong> [housing]. For example, in addition to the already-mentioned \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u00bb,<\/strong> there is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0443\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> – a department that deals with maintenance and repairs issues staffed with \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0443\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u044b\u00bb <\/strong>[bureaucrats working at the housing maintenance and repairs department].<\/p>\n

Agglomerations of faceless apartment buildings built \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0442\u0438\u043f\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0443 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0442\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [according to generic design plan] are referred to as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043c\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not to mention a slew of acronyms, including \u00ab<\/strong>\u0416\u042d\u041a – <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0449\u043d\u043e-<\/strong>\u044d\u043a\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0443\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [local building and utilities office]. By the way, while the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [office] is feminine, the acronym \u00ab<\/strong>\u0416\u042d\u041a\u00bb<\/strong> is masculine thus determining the ending of the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0430\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to react; here – to respond] in the following sentence – \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0448\u0430 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043a\u043b\u0430<\/span>, <\/strong>\u0430 <\/strong>\u0416\u042d\u041a <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0430\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0431\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [the roof leaked, but ZhEK did not respond to complaints].<\/p>\n

Needless to say, many of the officials in the building and utilities sector, including the aforementioned \u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0440 <\/strong>\u0411\u043e\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [Nikanor Bosoi] were corrupt and used their \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [position] \u00ab <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0446\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044f\u0445\u00bb<\/strong> [in order to ingratiate themselves]. Not only were they, using Korovyev\u2019s description, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0436\u0438\u0433\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [greedy rogues and cheats], but \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0437\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [bribe takers] as well.<\/p>\n

As to the ordinary Russians, in addition to communal flats, they had such wonderful inventions as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [dormitories for married couples and families] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [a situation when one room in a single-family apartment is allocated to another individual or even a family]. Individual apartments were (and many still are) small, often housing three and even four generations under one roof. Understandable, \u00ab\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0441 \u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f<\/span>\u043b \u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [housing problem was acute].<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

What is \u00ab\u0436\u0438\u043b\u043f\u043b\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb? Ah, the wonderful or rather wonder-inspiring language of \u00ab\u0421\u043e\u0432\u0434\u0435\u043f\u0438\u044f\u00bb [Sovietdom]! \u00ab\u0416\u0438\u043f\u043b\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb is short for \u00ab\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0430\u044f \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c\u00bb, meaning \u00ab\u043e\u0431\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0435\u043c\u0430\u044f, \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0430\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0436\u0438\u043b\u044c\u044f \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0434\u044c \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430, \u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044b\u00bb [floor space of a living areas of an apartment or a house]. So why not say \u00ab\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438\u0440\u0430\u00bb [apartment] or \u00ab\u043a\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0430\u00bb [room] when referring to one\u2019s living quarters? Back…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":1208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7827,995],"tags":[1018,9273,9247,1153,1248,9271,1818,9179,1681],"class_list":["post-1206","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-life","category-soviet-union","tag-bulgakov","tag-doing-things-together","tag-master-and-margarita","tag-mikhail-bulgakov","tag-russian-language","tag-russian-reading-summer-of-2010","tag-1818","tag-9179","tag-1681"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1206"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6187,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions\/6187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}